What do the Spurs do with James?

[Budkin]

Guarantee you Pop has no strategy for James right now. He won't until the Spurs win the WCF. The Heat have too many weapons. You put your best on James and Wade kills you. You switch up and Bosh kills you. You manage to avoid those and Allen kills you from outside.

Their only weakness is that they lack size inside. Pop will want to slow it down with them, but that's no secret tactic and no one else has been able to. They score off turnovers, they shoot the 3, they shoot a high percentage, they get offensive boards, they share the ball, they move the ball well, they defend well, they even shoot FTs well.

It will be quite a feat to win a single game against them. Taking them to 7 would be monumental. Beating them would be borderline impossible. They have to play subpar and the Spurs have to play out of their minds to even stand a chance.

This is so beyond "being realistic" it's laughable. Of course the Spurs stand a ing chance. The Heat have been beating up JV teams all season. Lets see them play a real team with all its players and a badass coach. Of course they will be the favorites but to think they would just steamroll us is ing bull .

[TampaDude]

Does anyone remember Lebron's stats in his 4 games against us in the '07 Finals? I know that has no bearing on the personnel we have now but I'm curious.

In 2007, we faced a young LeBron and a bunch of scrubs in the Finals. This Heat team is light years better than that 2007 Cavs team. There is no comparison.

As for LeBron's stats in the 2007 Finals, you can find them here: http://espn.go.com/nba/team/schedule...land-cavaliers

[Kidd K]

LeBron is the best player in the NBA. We're not going to shut him down or hold him to 10 points like we have the "stars" throughout the playoffs so far. He's probably going to get 25 a night, but it won't be the end of the world. The Spurs need to focus on containing everyone else while slowing LeBron down as much as possible without overreacting every time he hits a tough drifter or bulldozes his way to the basket.

On the other side of the coin though, what're they going to do about Parker? Chalmers is a terrible defensive player. Cole is even worse. Allen and Miller are too slow. They will either have to eat Tony's dominant play or will be forced to put Wade or LeBron on him. I'd argue Battier is too slow to guard him at this point too. And if LeBron guards Tony, their interior defense will be a joke and Duncan + Tiago will feast.

Speaking of Duncan, who do they have that can stop Duncan? Miami will have the softest frontcourt we've faced all postseason. No Dwight, no Bogut, no Gasol/ZBo. It'll be Bosh/Haslem. Come on. Duncan is playing determined as right now.

So tbh, while we can't "stop" LeBron, basically 2 of our best defensive players can guard that position, + our best if LeBron tries to go into the post. Meanwhile our best two players can attack their weakest defensive positions. Our best 2 perimeter defenders can also guard Wade.

I think we match up very nicely in terms of each team's best players vs each team's best defenders/worst defenders. I'm not saying I'm not worried, but I'm not that worried. The Spurs are a good team this year. I'll take my chances tbh.

[SpurPadre]

In 2007, we faced a young LeBron and a bunch of scrubs in the Finals. This Heat team is light years better than that 2007 Cavs team. There is no comparison.

I know that, again, I'm just curious what he was able to do against us back then and how Pop decided to gameplan him then.

[Brunodf]

Don't double, just stay home and let Lebron shoot jumpers.
Put Kawhi/Diaw or even Splitter on him.

[Spursfanfromafar]

The Heat are also relatively untested against teams with strong big men -

Lets take the last time the Heat faced a tough matchup in the playoffs, it was against the very flawed and old Celtics team last season. OKC relies on wing play as well and has some atrocious big man offense and failed against the Heat.

In the regular season this year, they were 1-2 against the Pacers and 1-1 against the Grizzlies - two of the better big man teams in the league. And the Spurs, as the Grizzlies series shows, has by far the best big men combine in the league.

I am surprised as to how the Spurs are simply written off against the Heat. It will be far far difficult for the Heat to defeat the Spurs in a 7 game series than what people imagine. Duncan & Splitter vs Haslem & Bosh is pretty much a wash for the Spurs and Ginobili & Parker & Leonard & Green match up well against Wade & Allen & Lebron & Battier.

[TampaDude]

I know that, again, I'm just curious what he was able to do against us back then and how Pop decided to gameplan him then.

http://espn.go.com/nba/team/schedule...land-cavaliers

[ElNono]

Seriously, the big issue with Lebron is that he's grown as a basketball player. He now understands he doesn't need to force the issue, and has become an adept passer. Being surrounded by good players helps, obviously.

If you're the Spurs, you keep doing what you're doing and got your this far: stuff the paint and make them beat you from outside. I agree that taking care of the ball is major. But if you do keep your turnovers low (and there's no reason why the Spurs couldn't do that), then defending their halfcourt offense shouldn't be insurmountable. Ultimately, the Spurs might need to pick their poison, and I would suspect Pop would prefer the likes of Cole and Battier to win the game rather than Lebron and Wade.

[Galileo]

I know it's premature and it's also rhetorical, in the sense that no team has a shot at slowing him. But in most cases, the Spurs are well equipped to at least adequately defend the oppositions stars. He's the most glaring exception to that I can think of and not just because he's the best player in the league.

Leonard is really their only legit James defender, but even he won't be able to guard him in the post and even if he could, he can't be expected to guard him for roughly 45 mpg and stay out of foul trouble. They clearly need a second guy; unfortunately, they just don't have it. Diaw is too slow (yes, he did a nice job in the first meeting, but James and the Heat in general were clearly coasting once they found out who wasn't playing and didn't bother to start playing until they were in serious danger of losing) to guard him off the dribble and Green isn't big or strong enough. The only other possibilities are Ginobili, who's also not big or strong enough or McGrady, who for obvious reasons probably won't play a meaningful second unless something has gone horribly wrong. He's also a sub par defender that, for all intents and purposes, hasn't really played a game in a few months and that was in China.

This is not the Lakers or Grizzlies, where the Spurs can get away with fronting the post and mostly disregarding their outside shooters. This team is too intelligent to not figure that out and has way too many good shooters, who are due for progression to the mean. They might just have to essentially concede something like 35 per game to him, stay home on their myriad shooters and hope that they can do a solid job on everyone else.

The Spurs will have 10 days off to rest Kawhi's knee. He will guard lebron with Green rotating on him as well. Manu and Parker will cut off the passing lanes, and the twin towers will be waiting if he goes by.

Sours win.

[Richie]

So one random screenshot determines that? That's like saying a 40% 3-point shooter is not a good shooter after he goes 1-5 in a game.

Sure, on this particular possession, where their spacing is mucked up.

That's just one of the screenshots somebody posted on Twitter tonight. Pretty much every time Lebron backed down George they had the ability to send a double and rotate back to the shooters to get it out of his hands. Instead they let Lebron get layup after layup.

I'd rather put faith in our defensive rotations to put pressure on weak side shooters than give Lebron a layup in the post.

[Galileo]

Seriously, the big issue with Lebron is that he's grown as a basketball player. He now understands he doesn't need to force the issue, and has become an adept passer. Being surrounded by good players helps, obviously.

If you're the Spurs, you keep doing what you're doing and got your this far: stuff the paint and make them beat you from outside. I agree that taking care of the ball is major. But if you do keep your turnovers low (and there's no reason why the Spurs couldn't do that), then defending their halfcourt offense shouldn't be insurmountable. Ultimately, the Spurs might need to pick their poison, and I would suspect Pop would prefer the likes of Cole and Battier to win the game rather than Lebron and Wade.

Lebron is well past his prime, he has lot a lot of quickness and jumping ability, he just has better teammates now than at Cleveland. Only his outside shooting is slightly better now.

[Richie]

Don't double, just stay home and let Lebron shoot jumpers.
Put Kawhi/Diaw or even Splitter on him.

What is it with you and not doubling?

I agree about making him shoot jumpers. The defensive philosophy should be based around that and if he beats us with his jump shot then so be it. Better than giving him layups or assists to dunks/open 3s.

[MinuteByMinuteSports]

I understand that Spurs fans should be restrained in their enthusiasm considering the Heat have far more talent than mostly any other team in recent history.

But the Heat, with their strengths are also flawed as a team in many senses. And some of their flaws are particularly in places where the Spurs have strong strengths - big man P&R play, post defense. If the Indiana Pacers have done so well so far against the Heat - its been a tough 2-1 for them so far - the Spurs can do much better.

It would be irrational to simply argue that the Spurs are doomed to lose from the beginning.

On the contrary, I think it will be a very close fight and I trust the Spurs to come through.

Finally, someone talking sense. Its stupid to just think we're going to just lose from the start.

[TampaDude]

Spurs win.

Yes. 5 more times, please.

[ElNono]

Lebron is well past his prime

what?

[Brunodf]

What is it with you and not doubling?

I agree about making him shoot jumpers. The defensive philosophy should be based around that and if he beats us with his jump shot then so be it. Better than giving him layups or assists to dunks/open 3s.

Heat is full of jumpshooters, if u double they will make u pay.

[aal04]

Im more worried about Bosh.

LBJ will get 30ppg with 1-3 defenders on him. Put 1 on him and let him get his 30.

Wades been subpar but Bosh can go awol and stretches the defense.

[DMC]

This is so beyond "being realistic" it's laughable. Of course the Spurs stand a ing chance. The Heat have been beating up JV teams all season. Lets see them play a real team with all its players and a badass coach. Of course they will be the favorites but to think they would just steamroll us is ing bull .

lol

[TD 21]

That's just one of the screenshots somebody posted on Twitter tonight. Pretty much every time Lebron backed down George they had the ability to send a double and rotate back to the shooters to get it out of his hands. Instead they let Lebron get layup after layup.

I'd rather put faith in our defensive rotations to put pressure on weak side shooters than give Lebron a layup in the post.

It's not possible to be the 2nd best 3-point shooting team and best all around shooting team period with poor spacing . . . and like I said, given how poor they've shot in the playoffs (granted, they've played against an elite and another near elite defense), they're due for some serious progression to the mean.

I'm not interested in watching the likes of Allen, Battier and Chalmers, raining uncontested 3's, while James still get's around 30 anyway.

For those suggesting Splitter, James would walk around him off the dribble and get non stop layups/dunks/kick outs to wide open 3 point shooters.

[SpurPadre]

http://espn.go.com/nba/team/schedule...land-cavaliers

Thanks for digging that up but I also thought people would remember how we gameplanned him then. I don't have the DVD of that Championship year with me.

[DMC]

Some of this stuff reads like LG.com stuff. Of course most of you are going to say the Spurs will win. You don't have any technical explanations as to how, but I suppose that's what faith is all about, belief without evidence.

[HarlemHeat37]

Riche is usually wrong about everything, tbh, especially regarding Miami..so take his posts with a grain of salt..

I'm not sure what the Spurs are going to do with Lebron, I'd probably lean towards making him the only scorer on the floor, but we'll see..Leonard's rebounding and defense have been a massive reason for the Spurs success, so I'd understand if the Spurs try to keep him off Lebron at times and put him on Wade, a much easier matchup..

Let Lebron try to score 40 every game, limit the rest of the team IMO..

I expect Parker and Ginobili to be overwhelmed by Miami's perimeter D, but systematically, the Heat can struggle against top bigs and great passing teams that can shoot..

The Spurs need a dominant series from Duncan, a big series from Splitter, and Bonner/Green/Leonard/Diaw to make their 3-pointers at a high rate to win the series, tbh..it's certainly possible that the Spurs could win the series, but relying on Splitter and the role players to make shots hasn't always been kind to the Spurs..

I'm worried about Lebron and Miami's pressure defense, but the Spurs do have Pop and Duncan, and they have the potential of a 2009 Orlando-like shooting barrage, tbh..if you remember that Magic team, they beat the Cavs with Lebron averaging 38-8-8 on the series..

Obviously those Cavs didn't have Wade and Bosh, but the Spurs will need a similar 3-point effort..

[RodNIc91]

The only thing that will keep this series up for the grabs is if TD continues his dominance. As far as what to do? Im with Elnono here, pack the paint and let the shooters kill you. Oh, and I think Wade will be very banged up. He and manu will basically cancel out, so if Timmy outplays Bosh and the jumpshot doesn't kill us, the series will be up for grabs. This series is miami's to lose, though

[tuncaboylu]

Why the heck did we trade James?

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/show...53#post6589553

[BatManu20]

Don't double, just stay home and let Lebron shoot jumpers.
Put Kawhi/Diaw or even Splitter on him.

Lol you serious? Lebron has about 45 lbs onKawhi. He'll just overpower him. And he'd run circles around Diaw and Splitter.. We have no one who can defend Lebron James.